


Through the Eyes of a Monument

by Nezanie



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, angst followed by a bonus fluff, slight description of a warzone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-06 18:17:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17350193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: A tribute erected for a fallen princess that could have become a friend witnesses the many emotions of the princesses in question and maybe something more blossom.





	Through the Eyes of a Monument

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first Pertrapta I hope i can write more soon

The help seemed to shrivel as Mermista glanced at them. It might have been her less than pleasant glare - though it was not directed at anybody in particular she still seemed to have startled them unwittingly. She’d gotten used to it, the flowery people under Perfuma were especially skittish. It was the whole situation that was absurd to her, irritably so, since they had defended Bright Moon from the Horde and it had seemed that Perfuma had gotten her spunk back in that fight. The girl was a positive ray of sunshine, anything other than vibrant didn’t suit her. It seemed like her very presence could make the flowers bloom even without the help of her runestone. When Mermista was led to the her friend and ally, it was obvious that she was in for a big surprise.

 

Perfuma was hunched, immobile as she stood in front of her tribute to their fallen friend. Mermista had to admit, it was a lovely and extremely spot on rendition of the overactive, smart aleck. She hesitated, the image before her reminded her of a withering flower, this dullness didn’t suit someone as gentle and optimistic as Perfuma. The attendant bowed, she barely saw him from the corner of her eye, by the time she glanced back at him he had already retreated. Bracing herself she took the last few steps to Perfuma’s side placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

Perfuma jumped, the flinch causing Mermista to stagger back in surprise. Recognition flitted through a number of her expressions and Mermista lowered her hand back on her shoulder squeezing in reassurance. Tired seemed to be the most frequent of all looks.

 

Mermista returned the small smile she received in a momentary greeting, “What are you doing Perfuma?”

 

She seemed to whittle at the question like a scolded child, glancing at her creation every now and then. Mermista frowned, sharing the same glances and could conclude that the shrubbery had become a sort of companion to the gloomy princess.

 

Mermista scratched at her neck feeling out of place as a source of beratement, “This isn’t healthy Perfuma,”

 

“So what?”

 

Mermista blinked completely caught off guard wondering if her ears had been clogged and she had been having some auditory hallucination, “I’m sorry?”

 

“I said  _ so what _ ?” the venom spat dripping in her words was so unlike Perfuma Mermista found herself momentarily gawking. She almost snorted, not even Perfuma was a flower with no thorns, it was somehow as much of a relief as it was shocking to find there were indeed some icy aspects to the floral princess. She had expected tears and wailing, kind of prepared for it with her pockets studded with handkerchiefs, to have Perfuma erupt angrily on her instead was not in the plan. She could roll with it,  _ ‘Better than the tears,’ _

 

Perfuma was practically shaking, fists bunched up at either side as she gave Mermista the stink eye. She shuddered taking a step back and raising her arms as she saw the tears welling up in Perfuma’s eyes.  _ ‘Guess I spoke to soon...or well, thought,’ _

 

“Ah right, ah,” Mermista fumbled around her pockets from the back to front trying to find one of the florally printed clothes the girl’s attendants had presented her at the door. They were little clothed abominations in her eyes but it was best not to mention it as the item was snatched from her hands and blown in forcefully. Mermista leaned over to try and glimpse at her face. With Perfuma’s back to her all she could see were her shoulders shuddering. It would be better if she did let go a little so Mermista let her sniffle away in an awkward silence between the two. It would give her time to prepare some sort of comfort.

 

“I was there, I had her with  _ me _ ,” Perfuma chanted to nobody in particular, she looked at the fake Entrapta forlorn and dejected, body slumping fraily. It seemed to make her lose some of her impressive height and Mermista grimaced reeling for any sort of corny sentence the others could churn out at the drop of a hat. None coming to mind seemed...suitable. Mermista hummed, narrowing her eyes and deciding against interjecting until Perfuma’s sobs had become more like sniffles. 

 

“It’s not anybody’s fault, I’m sure she’d be ecstatic that we defended Bright Moon,” Mermista said, she placed her hand on her shoulder only for it to be dislodged. She didn’t really think she sounded completely comforting and hoped Perfuma didn’t latch on to how gauche Mermista could be at times.

 

Perfuma scoffed throwing her hands in extravagant exasperation, “No she wouldn’t, her one track mind loved nothing more than the most ridiculous things, tinkering with that first one technology, the horde’s stupid robotic junk!”

 

Perfuma stomped her foot hot tears streaming down her face, “ _ Ohhhh, _ she was so infuriating nobody ever made me feel so, so, so…..argh!” She stomped her foot once and then another time following her exclamation. Mermista closed her eyes trying to resist the urge to roll her them. Relief came in small continuous waves not unlike the soft motions of the evening tide as Perfuma continued to open up. This was good, this was an improvement, Perfuma was looking alive!

 

“I didn’t even know I could feel so aggravated before,” she mumbled, a small chuckle escaping between hiccups, she seemed to be telling herself more than Mermista, “She made me utterly forget how terrified I was, I wanted to be that brave in the last battle, that’s why I couldn’t abandon Adora and the others.” Perfuma frowned dabbing her eyes with the piece of cloth she had scrunched up in her balled fists, “At least, I think it was bravery, she was... _ unique _ , hard to follow,”

 

“Well, yes,” Mermista reached out to her once more, this time Perfuma accepted her hand and held onto it gratefully, “She…” she paused looking for the correct word, “Well,  _ actually _ , that’s an understatement,”

 

Perfuma managed a choked giggle, and gave her monument one last gaze before Mermista tugged her hand.

 

“Come now, it’s sort of breezy and I don’t like to be without a good hot cup of whatever leaf water you guys drink in windy days, you known that,” Mermista rolled her eyes pulling the taller girl along, like a child trotting after her mother, blowing her nose every now and then Perfuma followed. A cup of tea sounded just right in the chilly weather.

 

“Thanks Mermista,” she smiled as her hand was squeezed in response and she was pulled closer to the other’s side.

 

“No big deal,”

 

…

 

The attack wasn’t unprecedented. The horde had been gearing to take back their station by her kingdom for ages and as a bonus they probably decided to get rid of the nuisances. They just had never came so well equipped before and this time it was a struggle for Perfuma to take on alone with her people, unused to the cruelty of war and lacking in number. As their leader, Perfuma needed to protect them no matter how inexperienced so she called on the alliance. Their swift aid shifted the scales of the battlefield ever so slowly and in the midst of the chaos, Perfuma thought she glimpsed a familiar figure with a set of strangely animated twin tails. She was sure her mind was playing tricks, it must have been a hallucination from the stress or the lack of sleep yet as her mind gave plausible reasons for it having been a trick of the moment, her legs didn’t listen giving chase immediately. The sounds of grunts, the clanking of metal against metal and the screams all around her and the echo of her name being called behind her couldn’t stop her desperate from pursuing the apparition.

 

_ ‘Please let it be her,’ _ she chanted, willing her legs to go as fast as they could.

 

…

 

Entrapta marveled at the lavishing forest of Plumeria, the runestone seemed to feed the plants and all the creatures energy beyond comparison. The data she was gathering was absolutely nuts. She wondered if she could extricate all of its secrets what new revolutionary discoveries she could bring about. What could she build with all the knowledge that came from such a life yielding stone. It would be a nice change of pace from the usual friends she tinkered with and something people were bound to like that more. They never seemed to like Emily or the other robots but everybody loved being healthy.

 

She tapped at the screen of her portable, looking for the Black Garnet’s data so she could compare them, and hummed as she scurried around the area finding the best position to access the runestone undetected. What she hadn’t foreseen and no amount of calculations could have given her a heads up was nearly tripping into a bush. It could also be equated to the fact she had a habit of not looking where she was walking, most of the time when her eyes were focused on the whereabouts of her feet she wasn’t so clumsy. “Ow,” she complained with a frown retrieving her instrument and dusting it off.

 

Entrapta rubbed the sore spot on her thigh were she had fallen, jumping back onto her feet and assessing for any more bruising. She happened to glance at her surroundings, perhaps for the first time noticing how lush the princesses abode really was and letting her jaw drop at the sight of a large, imposing plant morphed into a very intricate image of her own self.

 

“It’s like staring at a mirror,  _ how cool! _ ,” she chirped running around the pedestal and looking into the detail of the craftsmanship, “Man, this is so well done, was this cut out or made by her runestone...but...why…why would she,” Entrapta straightening herself, her voice lowering into a whisper. “This makes no sense unless…” her thoughts came to an answer she did not quite like at least as much as the pang in her chest that followed. 

 

She turned back for the first time towards the blasts and the shouting of the war being waged, the battle that let her slip into the village and up to the palace yard with no one ever the wiser. She had thought it drastic, even though nothing was as bile rising as the sentiment she had felt when realizing how the alliance had abandoned her.  _ Nobody had ever stayed for her _ . The anger and bitterness had made it ever so easy to ignore the world around her and focus on her experiments. _ ‘Why would they...why would she make this? If she didn’t care,’  _ A tremor racked her entire body and she found the next breath a little difficult to take in. 

 

“I..didn’t...I thought…” she spluttered going through an endless list of possibilities that could have explained the existence of such a monument. The guilt weighed more and more heavily as her focus shifted to the Horde’s aggressive state of order keeping. The reason that made sense was the one she feared the most, she didn’t want to think about it but she could no longer turn a blind eye. Entrapta wanted to bury it among the myriad of painful memories her intellectual curiosity had taken precedence and sweep the awfulness of it all under the rug. The excuse that she was too busy discovering to even care suddenly felt too careless to uphold. The idea that her research would help people too whimsical.

 

“Entrapta?”

 

She couldn’t stop herself from turning towards the source of the voice, ecstatic and bubbling with emotions she forgot anybody could associate with her. Entrapta jumped in fright, twisting round mid-hop and took in the sight of Plumeria’s princess. Perfuma was panting, her dress tattered and thorn, her skin lacerated in various places most likely from blows from the people Entrapta was siding with. It made her stomach wrench in a knot that made her feel absolutely quesy. She didn’t look too hurt and Entrapta found herself breathing out in relief as her condition seemed perfectly reasonable, geared towards healthy rather than not. It was a good status for a battleground. Even if it didn’t stop her from feeling small like an ant in front of such a happy display.

 

Entrapta immediately let her eyes fall to her feet in the hot flush that took over her. Her knuckles white as she gripped her portable ever so tightly. Perfuma didn’t seem to notice as she launched herself onto the girl encircling her with surprisingly strong arms around her smaller frame and pulling her to Perfuma’s chest. Entrapta yelped in surprise, the heat rising to her cheeks, confusion, dread and a roller coaster of various feelings taking over her and reducing her to a spluttering mess. 

 

“You’re alive! You’re alive!” Perfuma was barely coherent in between sobs, beside the fact that she was practically strangling Entrapta whose sole focus was to get the much needed oxygen to her lungs. She felt herself being pushed at arm's length and the beam she was given made her shrivel like a turtle trying to hide in its shell, she tried to avoid eye contact although she felt a twinge seeing Perfuma’s smile that made her want to stare. Every bombardment, every roar of pain or battle cry by enemy or friend, she swore she could physically feel them now, as if they were poking her, punishing her.

 

“I’m so glad you’re okay…” Perfuma hiccuped, she tilted her head trying to catch a glimpse at the girl’s face, “What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?” the affronted tone felt like a knife in Entrapta’s gut, “Did they lock you up? How did you…esc...” Perfuma’s eyes scanned along her smaller frame, they settled on the item in her hand, the horde’s brand incriminatingly glaring, “...escape.” The strangled cry of realisation from Perfuma stung deeper than any wound could. She would have prefered being maimed or have had the girl react. She could have taken it, she was prepared for it. Nothing could be worse than the disappointed look Perfuma was wearing. 

 

“I’m…” Entrapta choked on the words as she felt the hands slid off from her shoulders to her elbows, slumping by Perfuma’s side limply.

 

“I’m _ sorry _ , I didn’t m...” she couldn’t finish off the sentence for she had closed her eyes to reality. It had been her own revenge for being left behind. She couldn’t deny that, Entrapta was clumsy, easily distracted and many other things. Ignorant and stupidly blind were not adjectives that could describe her.

 

The hurt she saw in Perfuma’s eyes scalding and incriminating, she faced it as best as she could. Entrapta felt the hot, wet tears run across her cheeks chanting apologies until Perfuma’s receding figure was barely visible. The princess shaken and sobbing, ran away from Entrapta, taking off as quickly as possible from an enemy she never imagined to have.

 

…

 

Bonus Story: Several Months Later

 

“Are you sure you want to keep it?” Entrapta inquired closing one eye and looking at the sight before her through her fingers as she made a square shaped frame to gaze into with her hair shifted in the shape of hands, “We could still chop it or reshape it…”

 

Perfuma smacked her shoulder, her practiced reprimanding look as effective as ever as Entrapta smiled sheepishly, “Why would you say that?” She demanded puffing her cheeks cutely. 

 

Entrapta shrugged reaching out to take Perfuma’s hand in hers, “I mean I know you hate fires…”

 

“Entrapta!”

 

“Gosh, just a comical word play,” she grinned chuckling bemused, rubbing the back of her head. Her hand, her actual one this time, grabbed the cup of tea she had already drained, “I am just trying to...brighten the mood? As the others would put it?” She peered inside the glass pouting at the lack of hot beverage. Perfuma rubbed her thumb on her cheek affectionately taking her mind off the fact there was no more tea. 

 

She frowned at Entrapta, taking the cup from her and placing it into the picnic basket they had prepared for their date, “Do you mean it was a joke? I think you should work on it,”

 

“Aw,” Entrapta’s shoulders drooping at the failure, “That book said I just needed to…be confident when making jocular phrases,”

 

Perfuma pulled her closer, her arm going round her shoulder and she squeezed near the bottom of her neck reassuringly, “Entrapta, who even gave you such a silly book?”

 

“Catra?”

 

At the mention of her name, the girl pursed her lips unimpressed. It must have been one of the cattish girl’s idea of helping, although Perfuma wasn’t sure she always wanted to lend a hand, Catra seemed more attracted to mischief. She had been a valuable addition to the rebellion nonetheless, and most of all she made Entrapta feel validated and happy. Perfuma couldn’t really complain and she hoped to get to know her girlfriends friends better one day.

 

_ ‘ _ _ It does sting a little she’d go to her for advice,’ _ Perfuma thought dejectedly. She couldn’t lie though, it made her happy to know Entrapta was always trying hard especially for her. She recalled the inkling she had for their bombastic confession to one another was that it must have been instigated by Catra and a few others whom Entrapta sought for help in an area she defined as ‘outside of her expertise’. Perfuma wasn’t quite sure if experts in love existed, it was still absolutely heartwarming to know someone was thinking of her so much they’d ask their friends for help. Looking at the large metallic figure by the monument she had made for Entrapta, she wasn’t quite sure if she should thank Catra and the rest or chide them for such over the top ideas. Perfuma could feel her lips shape into a smile that almost hurt her cheeks .

 

“I think you should learn by practice, books don’t always have the answer dear,” Perfuma advised tentatively, she tried to put on her best persuading face, “Ditch the book,  _ please _ ,”

 

“Oh, you’ll practice with me? I wouldn’t need the book I guess then,” Entrapta practically sparkled with glee and excitement, it drifted onto Perfuma crashing her will to dissuade her, “Cripes that’d be great! I love doing social activities together!” The finishing blow were the sparkling puppy eyes Entrapta had learned to sport.

 

“I suppose we could,” she relented leaning into the other’s frame and kissing her temple affectionately. She sighed happily, “I’ve got to admit, they really come together nicely,”

 

“Don’t they!” Entrapta said with the burning enthusiasm of a blooming firework in the night sky Perfuma could feel her fidget by her side, wiggling as close to her as possible. “I always thought my cute little robots couldn’t be topped but this is really the prettiest thing I ever made,”

 

Perfuma blushed hiding behind her sleeve, “Flatterer,”

 

“No really, I’m really happy we did this,” she chimed, taking the hand away and squeezing it.

 

Perfuma nodded, gazing lovingly at her gift, the metallic structure towered beside the Entrapta she had brought to life and flourished with her powers as a princess. She had been surprised by how beautiful the structure molded in her image had been, she’d thought it was somebody else. Entrapta had insisted that it could be none other than her, the Perfuma that Entrapta saw. She reassured her there was nobody quite as lovely and it wasn’t because she was the princess of Plumeria. The monuments hands were entwined mimicking their real selves.

 

“I still think you should have let me install a tea brewer, I know you love your herbal infusions,” Entrapta mused tapping her chin with a free hand, “And honestly I’m starting to get really into them,”

 

Perfuma pressed their foreheads together causing Entrapta to glance at her, “It’s fine as it is, Entrapta, it doesn’t need to be useful, it’s wonderful,”

 

Entrapta smiled softly taking the opportunity to plant a kiss half onto her lips, half onto her cheeks, her aim a little off in the need to close in the remaining distance and be affectionate. 

 

“I love you lots,” she said with no hint of embarrassment and an awfully smuggish look, content and safe as she was smothered in Perfuma’s embrace. 

 

“I love you too,” Perfuma laughed as they rocked back and forth before sharing a well aimed kiss beneath the gaze the monument that has seen them through thick and thin. It’s new companion glowing in the afternoon sun. It was now truly a memento inspired by love and no longer by loss.


End file.
